Isaiah Jackson moves up to No. 11 in ESPN's latest mock draft

Kentucky forward Isaiah Jackson has firmly cemented himself as a lottery pick in ESPN’s latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft.

Coming off the board at No. 11 overall, the 6-foot-10 forward is projected to head to San Antonio and play for the Spurs.

“The Spurs will likely be in the market for a starting-caliber center to build around long term, and Jackson could very well pique their interest,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said of the Kentucky forward. “One of the most explosive players in the draft, Jackson is an elite shot-blocker who dropped strong glimpses of offensive potential, which gives him significant upside.”

During his lone season at Kentucky, Jackson averaged 8.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 25 games with 18 starts on his way to being named to the All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team and Defensive Team. He is currently testing the draft waters and will have until July 7 (10 days after the NBA Draft Combine) to make a final decision as to whether he wishes to remain in the draft or return to Kentucky.

As for Brandon Boston Jr., the 6-foot-7 freshman fell to pick No. 36 in the second round, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder. Boston is the only other Wildcat included in ESPN’s latest mock draft.

Davion Mintz is currently testing the draft waters with the possibility of returning to Kentucky for a sixth year of college basketball, while Keion Brooks Jr. has not yet announced his future plans either way.

Here are Givony’s newest lottery projections:

1. Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State)
2. Evan Mobley (USC)
3. Jalen Green (G League Ignite)
4. Jonathan Kuminga (G League Ignite)
5. Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga)
6. Keon Johnson (Tennessee)
7. Davion Mitchell (Baylor)
8. Franz Wagner (Michigan)
9. Jalen Johnson (Duke)
10. Scottie Barnes (Florida State)
11. Isaiah Jackson (Kentucky)
12. Corey Kispert (Gonzaga)
13. Josh Giddey (Adelaide)
14. Alperen Sengun (Besiktas)

In BasketballNews.com’s latest update released on Friday, Jackson came in three spots outside the lottery at No. 17 overall where he would be selected by the Golden State Warriors. Boston is also projected to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 23 overall, where he would play with both Bronny James (Sierra Canyon) and LeBron James over the course of three years.

For the entire ESPN mock draft, click here.